The innovation developed in Portugal in the area of artificial intelligence applied to cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is one of these stories. A clear example of talent, knowledge and ambition that places the country at the forefront of global medicine, but which, curiously, does not receive the attention it deserves.

The AI4CMRex project, led by the Portuguese company AI4MedImaging and co-financed by the COMPETE 2030 program, represents much more than a technological advance. It is a concrete demonstration that Portugal is not only a consumer of innovation but a creator of solutions with global impact. We are talking about a platform that uses artificial intelligence to analyse cardiac MRI scans automatically, faster and more accurately, significantly reducing diagnosis time and increasing clinical reliability.

In a world where cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death, this ability is not only relevant. It is transformative. The technology developed in Portugal allows exams that used to take long periods to be analysed to be interpreted in minutes, freeing up doctors for what really matters: caring for patients.

But perhaps the most important impact of this innovation goes even further. The democratisation of access to diagnosis. Today, the complexity of cardiac MRI analysis and the shortage of specialists limit its use in many hospitals and regions. With solutions like AI4CMR, this barrier is starting to disappear. The technology makes it possible to bring advanced diagnostic capabilities to places where it simply did not exist before.

And this is where this story takes on an even greater dimension. We are not just talking about technology. We are talking about equal access to health. To reduce asymmetries. To ensure that innovation is not concentrated in large urban centres or in more developed countries.

The most impressive thing is that this is not an idea in its early stages. It is a solution already internationally recognised, certified by the main regulatory authorities and with practical application in the field. The AI4CMRex project now reinforces this base, introducing new capabilities, greater automation and greater robustness, with a clear objective: to scale this technology and take it even further.

The support of COMPETE 2030 is, in this context, an example of what can and should be done. Invest in innovation, talent and technology with real impact. To create conditions for Portuguese companies to be able to compete at a global level in highly demanding areas such as health and artificial intelligence.

But there is a reflection that cannot be ignored. Why don't these stories still have the prominence they deserve? Why do we continue to value what comes from the outside more than what we can create inside?

Portugal has talent. He is aware. There are companies capable of competing with the best in the world. And this project is proof of that.

Perhaps it is time to start looking at these achievements with a different pride. Not as exceptions, but as clear signs of the country we can be.

A country that not only keeps up with global innovation.

But that helps to define it.